WELCOME BACK!

What a positive start to the school year! Classrooms have been buzzing as students and teachers dive into our Learning to Learn program, and we’re so proud of how quickly our new Prep students have settled into their “big school” routines.

Learning to Learn is a two-week program that helps build strong relationships, establish classroom routines, and create a happy, productive learning environment. It also supports students to form new friendships.

A special welcome to all our new students, families, and staff. Our school is a place where everyone belongs, and we’re excited to see our newest members already thriving.

Grade Information Sessions

We had such a great turnout for our Grade information sessions this week. A big thank you to families who turned up in the extreme weather conditions. Family partnerships play a crucial role in student success. When families and schools work together, students feel more supported, engaged, and motivated to learn. Strong family involvement can lead to better attendance, higher achievement, and a more positive attitude toward education.

It’s great to see so many families attending these sessions—it really highlights the shared commitment to student growth!

Be on Time for School Every Day

A reminder that our soft start (music) starts at 8.55am each morning. This signals that it's time to go into classrooms and get ready for learning. We know that getting off to a great start each day is critical for learning, so we are encouraging everyone to be on time and ready to go inside classrooms before the 9am bell.

Road Safety around Schools

Speed zones, pedestrian crossings and parking restrictions around school are there to improve the movement of traffic during peak times and maximise safety for children and road users.

It is vital that adults, we lead by example and set good road safety practices travelling to and from school. As such we are asking all parents and carers to observe and obey parking signs and in particular No Stopping and No parking signs.

Darebin City Council have asked us to remind our school community that it is an offence to:

double park by stopping next to a legally parked vehicle, even for a short time or to drop off/pick up passengers
Stop or park across a driveway, footpath or dividing strip
Stop or park within 10 metres of an intersection or corner that doesn’t have traffic lights
Stop or park across or in a bus zone.

Council Local Laws Officers will be active around our school area to issue warnings and fines.

Start of the Year Reminders

Several reminders for the start of the year.

Hats - please remember that school hats are essential for outside play and learning
Student Mobile Phones - a reminder for students with mobile phones, they must be handed in at the front office so they can be securely stored during the school day. Please refer to our mobile phone policy which was sent out on Compass last week.
Nude food - we actively and strongly encourage students to have ‘nude’ food in their lunch boxes as much as possible. This means to minimise the wrappers and plastics that they bring to school. Students are only allowed to take fruit and vegetables into the yard during recess and lunchtimes.
Interacting with the school staff - as we start the school year please continue to remember to maintain polite and respectful interactions with all members of staff. It is certainly reassuring to know that we enjoy a proud history of the overwhelming majority of parents who do this and are strong advocates for all that we do. It can’t be underestimated how much we appreciate and value this.
Updating details with the school office - if you have moved, have a different phone number, emergency contacts or changed family circumstance then please let the school know.
Parking - please remember to follow all parking signs around the school, and use the kiss and go zones for drop offs only.
Arrival at school in the morning - please remember that we do not have staff on Yard Duty in the mornings until 8.45 am. No child should be arriving at school before 8.45am for child safe reasons. Please ensure that you have arrangements in place in the mornings, and book your child/children into TheirCare to ensure their safety. We are also trying to reduce the foot traffic through the office and corridor in the Wales Street building. The front side gates will be opened from 8:45am each morning so students & families who do not need to go to the office will be able to enter the school through these side gates.

Parent Social Media Groups

We know that feeling part of a community matters. We also know that the best way to foster this is to have face-to-face contact. However, in the modern busy world this isn’t always possible. Another way that WSPS parents and carers have connected in the past has been through social media chat groups. With the new year, and new class groups, a number of parents have contacted the school asking about the possibility of connecting into existing social media groups or establishing new ones. Below is an outline of the process that we would like to facilitate. These social chat groups can be effective in helping people stay ‘connected’, however I would like to remind parents of three things:

Firstly, the intention is for parents and carers to have another method of connection and not for direct student involvement or input. Secondly, please be aware and mindful, that whilst independent platforms are used, as they are directly related to school events and activities, the use on them also falls within the realm of the Respectful behaviours in the School Community DET policy. Thirdly, I respectfully ask that conversations are kept positive and light-hearted or used as reminders (such as ‘remember Friday is Library day’, ‘Does anyone know where the Grade 6 Gala day is today?, ‘don’t forget to send in an empty jar for Thursday’, ‘can anyone remember when the swimming trials are?). They may also be used to arrange outside of school social events or catch-ups for the children, or used as a ‘shout-out’ if a particular family in your class group is experiencing some personal challenges such as a health concern or loss of a family member. If you have a concern about your child, then the appropriate avenue is to always directly address this with your child’s teacher. If, from time to time, you have a concern about a broader school-wide issue, or would like to provide feedback, then please approach a member of the School’s Leadership Team.

I know that the overwhelming majority of parents and carers do engage respectfully in the online messaging groups. Remember, from time to time, if there is a message stream that isn’t helpful then it is ok to politely remind group members of the purpose and intent of the group. Please also be aware of any implications for you if you join a group if there is parent separation involved.

Our main channels of communication remain through Compass and through the school newsletter. We have a lot to be grateful for and I think we all can play a key role in continuing to communicate in these messaging forums in positive ways that are supportive of the school and all its endeavours.

I encourage all families to read our WSPS Parent/Carer Social media Group Expectations that is in our policy library on the website and attached here as well.

Student Free Days

We have four curriculum days a year as well as a reporting day. The first day of school for teachers is classified as a curriculum day.

The dates for our remaining curriculum days are listed below:

Term 1: Tuesday 10th March: First Aid & Mental Health Training

Term 2: TBC

Term 3: TBC

Term 4: Reporting Day: Monday 2nd November (Cup Eve)

As soon as our term 2 & 3 days are booked, I will let the community know.

PRIVACY INFORMATION

Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Department of Education’s Privacy Policy.

Please take time to remind yourself of the school’s collection statement which is included in this newsletter.

For more information about privacy, see:

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Pages/Schools-Privacy-Policy-information-for-parents.aspx

This information is also available in nine community languages.

School Uniform

Our uniform dress code reinforces in students a pride in their own appearance, instils recognition of themselves as an integral part of the school community, and assists in developing pride in representing their school. The uniform dress code aims to promote equality amongst all students. As part of our focus on our value of RESPECT we are seeking your support to ensure that all students are dressed each and every day looking like a full member of our school team.

HAVE INPUT INTO OUR SCHOOL…SCHOOL COUNCIL NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN

We know that one of our school’s key strengths is our strong parent input and involvement. Our School Council is one the main forums in which parents and staff work together for the benefit of all our students. At the beginning of each school year, we have a number of vacancies for School Council. If you are interested in nominating, please collect a form from the school office or download an attachment below. These must be lodged at the office by 4pm Friday 20th February.

The election timeline is as follows:

Friday 6th February: Notice of Election and call for nominations.

Friday 20th February: (4pm) Close of nominations.

Monday 23rd February: Display list of nominees.

Tuesday 24th February: Ballot papers made available if required.

Tuesday 2nd March: (4pm) Close of ballot.

Tuesday 2nd March: (4:10pm) Vote Count.

Wednesday 3rd March: Declare poll.

Please contact me if you would like more information about being a parent on our School Council: robyn.owens@education.vic.gov.au

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